If Trafalgar Square is the proverbial heart of London, then Northumberland Avenue should be one of its most vibrant thoroughfares — sweeping down from Nelson’s Column to the banks of the Thames, on one side the powerhouses of Whitehall and on the other Charing Cross, the Strand and onwards to Covent Garden. But it never quite turned out like that for poor old Northumberland Avenue.

The 500-room Victoria Hotel used to occupy its northern side — opened in 1897 and then nabbed by the MoD during the Second World War, it stood derelict for almost 60 years until 2006. Five businesses have since piled into its site at 8 Northumberland Avenue, the latest being Boyd’s Brasserie, owned by Charlie Boyd, caterer to the Queen’s garden parties.

We arrived on Monday lunchtime and marvelled at the spectacle of its undiscovered dining room. Its 20ft-high walls, clad in Verde de Prato and Sanguino marble, are from the original hotel designed by Isaacs and Florence, architects of The Connaught, and updated with a mirrored bar and five floating chandeliers.

Sadly we were the only ones there to appreciate it. Boyd’s seemed to have run out of money when it came to fittings — the table was MDF — but would the food fare any better? My roasted parsnip soup proved creamy enough while the foie gras pâté with fig chutney was pleasantly buttery.

You expect a pink steak to arrive oozing its juices —my husband’s did not — while my choice of fish of the day, a misnomer on a Monday, came camouflaged with oily chopped salami. However, the chips were crispy and fine apple tart was faultless.

Boyd’s greatest asset is its architectural heritage, and to survive it has to become a destination venue for the pre-theatre set (two courses are a bargain Ł15.50). If not, it will only confirm Northumberland Avenue’s beleaguered Monopoly board reputation — 24 moves away from the glories of Mayfair and just five from Pentonville Road.